If you had power to change one of the clubs that you go to, what would you do to change it to your flavor.

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allow people to spin Poi - glowsticks on strings

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*Fav tune at the moment*
Vector Burn - Paradise Lost
"This is the life we chose, the life we lead. There is only one guarantee - None of us will see heaven"

quote:

Originally posted by RickyM Next thread - trance for listening to when you are halfway down the stairs in your house...

Sound System and Lighting.


Damn I miss Hyperia.

~digital

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You ain't no daisy, no daisy at all

quote:

Originally posted by Exodus17 allow people to spin Poi - glowsticks on strings

don't let people who spin poi-glowsticks in the door the last thing I want is me or my date to get whacked in the face by one of those fucking things.

also, make it more loungy. everything is uncomfortable and crammed and sweaty. Space things out a bit. Enforce a dress code to keep out the "rif-raff". Make a large bar, not one of these tiny two people ones that only serve you a drink an hour while you end up waiting in line continuously.

And.... my number one thing. Make it more service oriented. Gone are the days where customers got treated right. Make a large VIP section if you need to, but you need to tend to your higher paying customers who are paying for service, not just atmosphere. Remembering my name when I come in is big on my list. Few places do that, but the ones that do are the ones I like to go to and spend my money at.

that is my perfect club/bar.

EDIT: And as a side note/thread hijack... No offense if it was one of you guys, but whoever was doing that glowsticks on strings thing on the stage in front of Bunny while he was doing his show in Austin sucked. The last thing I want is to see that shit. I came there to see Bunny spin not some amateur swinging strings. He stood in front of the DJ the whole time.

Let me add one more EDIT: I am not trying to insult you personally either Exodus. I just don't like getting hit in the face with those things and I believe a person swinging those around effectively takes up more room than they should in something with a limited amount of room to begin with. So nothing personal

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Helping girls make bad decisions since 1979

Last edited by D Dubya on Jan-26-2005 at 18:21

What I would want in a club:

1) Quality trance (as an example genre). This means a good selection of DJs that know their music and know their place in the club. Not DJs that mix completely different genres to get reactions from the crowd, and not DJs that think they are any different in status from the people on the dancefloor. Also, not all the DJs should play the exact same shit, but there has to be a common theme to the music that they play throughout the night. For example, progressive trance / tech trance / uplifting trance can go together for a good night's selection of music. Hip Hop with Latin House with Epic Trance with D&B = no loyal customers, and definitely none that are there for the specific music they love.

2) Quality promotion. This means that the key goals (see #1) must be kept in mind at all times, along with the fact that your customers are THE most important element to a successful club and must be catered to and treated well. Advertising with quick gimmicks to get a temporary crowd will get you exactly that, a temporary crowd. Building a name for the club is important, and just as important is building a name for DJs or other acts that frequent the club, so that you can ultimately grow your loyal-fan-base.

3) Comfort. This means nice lighting, good sound, decor, an area for dancing, and loungey areas for socialising and having a drink. No pool tables, dart boards, or any bullshit like that, because I'd want to attract a specific crowd who are musically oriented, not there just to hang out.

4) Friendly staff, reasonable cover, reasonable bar prices. Prices don't have to be dirt cheap, but people always take cost into consideration when they choose where they're gonna go on saturday night. And no one likes asshole bar staff or bouncers who think they are the club owners themselves.

So yeah... a club that I would be loyal to would be one that caters to the music I like, and keeps that as priority #1.

$0.02

, Packer

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"I played 12.30 til close at 3am at the club (Antro), following on from an Australian dj,
which seemed unusual in deepest Texas." - Judge Jules

Packer and a few other stole most of my thunder, (good DJs are a given, so I wont need to rehash that) so I will add a few subjective things off the top of my head:

First of all, I would research the European clubs like Amnesia in Ibiza, Club Eau or whatever the place to go in Amsterdam is, and the former Casino in Berlin....I saw video footage of those places and I was absolutely blown away by what I saw. The lights/lasers in all 3 places absolutely put to shame, anything I have seen, at any club in America. It goes without saying the sound system is state of the art. Altough I can say I am very pleased with Eternal's sound system, probably the bext one I had played on yet. I like it because not only is it LOUD...it is CLEAN. Loud music is all well and good...but if its distorting, or too boomy or the mids/highs are too abraisve...it wont be enjoyable for me.

Club decor is an important part, unless your going for the old warehouse feel which is fine too. I would definitely prefer wood floors to dance on, not because they are more comfortable...but they aid in the room's accoustics. More couches, and if you are a DJ...the drinks should always be on the house, especially if the DJ looks like he is a lightweight

last of all...free drinks for the ladies before midnight. that way, you get the maximum amount of women (or hoes..depending) in the club, which in turn will bring out more guys, and of course increas revenue for the club. but for us guys...it will better the chances of someone like me not going home alone after a night out.

all I got so far

Most of my points have been covered. Why I started posting on TranceAddict was to give mini-reviews of shows AND venues, both to write down what I liked & to help other people out.

In a venue, here's what I look for:

Baseline:
Easy access to the club itself--either via public transport or parking nearby.

Not too long a line to get in--I understand, if I show up at 11 pm, there's going to be a line. But a swift moving line is good. Holding the line for no reason really f---ing pisses me off.

In colder places, (like DC or SF) coat check speed/price/ease of use is a big deal.

Drinks within a 5 minute wait. A little wait is fine. Anything more than 5 minutes is excessive.

Feeling that the drinks are a good value--I don't mind paying (& have paid) $10+ for a REALLY good cocktail. But basic drinks should have a basic price--like $5 for a rum/coke.

Clean bathrooms without a long line. (nothing's worse than waiting & missing a tune). & dirty bathrooms are gross.

As you can see, all these are fairly low down on the Maslow's hierarchy--get me into the club with a drink in my hand. But too many places fall down on the above criteria.

Ok, once I'm situated, here's what I look for:

Decent sized dance floor with wood floors in front of the DJ booth. Not too big (seems too empty) not too small (too cramped).

Good sound system!!!

Some lights are nice. I'm not the light junkie of other people, but some eye candy is nice.

Receptive audience--are people smiling? do they like the vibe? Do I fear for my life?

That's a start on my list--nothing here is particularly specific to trance, but more what I appreciate in a night out.

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~~When you feel like nobody likes you, nobody cares for you,
and everybody is ignoring you, you should start asking yourself...

AM I TOO SEXY?????

Last edited by tmft on Jan-26-2005 at 19:30

quote:

Originally posted by Dirk W. EDIT: And as a side note/thread hijack... No offense if it was one of you guys, but whoever was doing that glowsticks on strings thing on the stage in front of Bunny while he was doing his show in Austin sucked. The last thing I want is to see that shit. I came there to see Bunny spin not some amateur swinging strings. He stood in front of the DJ the whole time.

Agreed. That guy was nothing too special, why was he at the front?

I have nothing against people doing glow spin stuff near the back, IF there is enough space for it. But they should be respectful of how much room that sort of stuff takes up.

___________________
~~When you feel like nobody likes you, nobody cares for you,
and everybody is ignoring you, you should start asking yourself...

AM I TOO SEXY?????

This is what I want if not playing:

1. The venue itself doesn't really matter a whole lot, as long as the sound and lighting is great. It would totally make me happy to see a laser or two.

2. I would never leave if there was Non-Cheese Epic Trance (Keep vocals to a minimum), Matthias, Andres, or Lance-approved Progressive, and some Banging Techno (Tech-House, Hard Tech, and Schranz). Throw in some aggressive Breaks too if possible. Of course, not all in one night but keep those genres in mind when booking talent. Nothing against Drum and Bass or House but if I wanted to hear it, I could find it out there.

**Disclaimer** Cinder, Aika, Anaken, Anominiss, Nastyboy, Lucas Wade, Daveed, Ram-Z, and Boogie Monster do not apply to the list...they are all welcome to play anytime.

3. No dress code - I see where Der Dirkenspiel is going with this, but if I want to dress up and go somewhere, there are a million cool clubs to go to. The typical person who dresses up all pretty to go out wants to hear 50 Cent, Salsa music, or 80s. Der Dirkenspiel is a breath of fresh air since he loves EDM, but it was annoying to have people making requests for stuff not on the "menu". No dress code brings out the working class and pretty people can go to VIP if needed.

4. No cover is a magnet for me. If there is a cover (5 at the most), there better be some good beer specials. 2.00 for domestic and 3.00 for import is what gets me to buy rounds and get happy. I liked when Nuno had the Long Island Pitchers for 8 bucks and Beer mini pitchers for 4. I made sure I got REAL happy those nights. I'll put it this way...I drove from San Antonio every Wednesday to hang out in Austin knowing I had to work at 9 in the morning..AND it was no cover.

This is what I want as a DJ (We're lower maintenance):

1. Pay your talent. Even if its 10 bucks for gas, the gesture is appreciated and respect is earned. DJs go back to those places even if they're not playing. Buy the DJ a beer or two as well (unless he sucks) and he may lick your toes out of love.

2. Don't be afraid to make lineups in advance. People who really appreciate the scene want to know who is playing at what time. If they don't know, they'll show up late and those are missed alcohol sale ops.

3. Sound and lighting should be good. That's a given.

I think that's about it. Big respect to all promoters I've worked with so far (Steve, Dustin, JoJo, Kyle, Anominiss, Matt and Randy). I've had nothing but good experiences with you guys.

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"Ok Boys, Let's Pony Up And Get This Bitch Done." - Redneck Dave

quote:

Originally posted by Screen 6) Instead of Go Go Girls hire actual Strippers. When your in the heat of a progressive moment, some tits and ass would fit nicely in situation 7)Put an end to the Sausage Fest Ladies free until 12 am

Quite possibly the two most intelligent suggestions yet. Screen, you constantly and pleasantly surprise me. PM me so we can start working on opening our club.

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Helping girls make bad decisions since 1979

i'm real proud of each one of you for taking time and explaining.

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quote:

Originally posted by DJ_Octane 1. Pay your talent. Even if its 10 bucks for gas, the gesture is appreciated and respect is earned.

Much agreed. Im not gonna make payment demands that would be a liability to the club, but if I could get travel expenses covered, And maybe a lil extra for taking the night off of work; I will be satisfied. Paying half in advance who earn my trust the fastest.